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Sub-Category:

Benign Thyroid Nodules

Specialty: Diabetes and Endocrinology

Category: Thyroid Disorders

Sub-category: Thyroid Nodules and Cancers

Symptoms:
lump in the neck; difficulty swallowing; hoarseness; pressure in the neck; asymptomatic in many cases

Root Cause:
Overgrowth of normal thyroid tissue, fluid-filled cysts, or inflammation in the thyroid gland.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Physical examination, thyroid function tests (TSH, T4, T3), ultrasound imaging, fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).

Treatment:
Observation, thyroid hormone suppression therapy, minimally invasive procedures (e.g., ethanol ablation), or surgery in symptomatic cases.

Medications:
Thyroid hormone replacement therapy (e.g., levothyroxine ) may be prescribed to suppress TSH levels in some cases, though its efficacy is debated.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common; approximately 50-60% of adults develop thyroid nodules, but most are benign.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Female sex, increasing age, iodine deficiency, family history of thyroid disease, radiation exposure.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent, as benign nodules rarely progress to malignancy.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Large nodules may cause compression symptoms (e.g., difficulty swallowing or breathing); rare transformation into malignancy.